24/7 news coverage involves way too much talking, which leaves so many opportunities for stupid statements (trust me, I know about volume of words leading to stupid statements).
Two of my favorites thus far:
The first, because I'm pretty sure if Houstonians can't forgive and forget it will seal Rick Perry not being re-elected as governor:
Rick Perry, on the gasoline outages in the Houston area: "We told people at the beginning of the week to top off their tanks. I guess they just didn't take that seriously."
Um, Rick, what sort of vehicles are in the gubernatorial motorcade that can idle for 10-12 hours and don't need gasoline? We gotta get some of those.
Then tonight (Friday) before the Hurricane had actually made landfall, Lou Dobbs on CNN talking to some preciously perky raincoat-clad reporter in New Orleans reporting on flooding in New Orleans that was already 3-4 feet deep. As he's talking, there is an inset of the radar image of the hurricane showing that it has just begun it's fury:
"Can much more rain be expected?"
Perky raincoat-clad reporter was much more gracious than I would have been and said something to the effect that, yes, it can be assumed that more rain is on the way. I think my reply would have been: "What are you, a moron? Can you not SEE the hurricane in your monitor? Do you not understand the word 'hurricane'? Get off the air!!!"
Later I will have to report on my friend, Roxanne, and her evacuation that included 12 hours of car time, a 4 year old, a 7 year old, a snake, a rabbit, 2 chickens, a burned clutch, and landed them back at their house. Be safe, Roxanne!
6 comments:
Here I am in Arizona and 3 gas stations out in the Mesa/Gilbert area withing just a couple of miles of my brothers house have posted signs that they are out of gas. I am so thinking about Roxanne and her family. Miss my Texas friends, wish I were there, but am having a great time with family here. I am fixing to cut up about 5 lbs of veggies for a veggie tray when my sister Tiffany gets here. I am sure I will have stories from this day when it was over....bless em'.
At least as moronic to me are the preciously perky reporters being there in the first place. There's the poor guy or girl in a parka and soggy baseball cap leaning into the wind and shouting over the roar, and all I can think of is "where's he going to sleep" or "how's she going to get out of there". They all look interchangeable, and they all say the same thing (which we can't hear anyway), so why not just stay in the safe studio and tell us to stay home?
By the way, that was TWO snakes--and they were residing in one of my favorite purses a zippered tote bag of mine. One was (and still is) 8 feet long.
Roxanne
You really earned your hilltop mansion when you evacuated with an 8 foot snake in your purse!! I'm sure some people marvel that I don't think anything of having a 5 foot tall gun safe bolted to my bedroom floor, but evacuating with a snake or two may be too much for me!
Some people who have heard our story (there was lots of sharing going on at the Red Cross shelter we ended up in just FIVE miles from our house) and thought I was a saint for doing all the driving in that 12 hours of time. I tell them my choices were to drive or hold the snakes. I almost became physically ill at the thought of them in my bags, but managed to hold down the one apple I had to eat all day.
I must add to your MORONIC statements (and let me assure you that MOST Houstonians MIGHT forgive the Governor IF he manages to apologize for his idiotic comment that was not only broadcast on local t.v., but also to millions of cars on the freeway since it was being carried on a radio station that was broadcasting to a 300 mile area at that time. I actually heard the man say it in real time, then looked at my husband and said, "Did he really just say what I thought he said." To which Tony replied, "Yep. I heard the revolver click when he shot his foot.")
Mayor Bill White of Houston:
"Well, there was much more congestion on the evacuation routes than we thought because more people left than we thought. We only thought those in the evacuation zone would leave."
Well, a meteorologist that I have very high regard for was reporting at 4:45 on THurs. morning that IF Rita hit us (and was at that time on a direct course for Galveston Bay) and if it were even just a cat 3 hurricane, that I would have winds of 100 mph at my house. I guess houses that can stand 100 mph sustained winds for up to 6 hours are built for those who can afford the cars Sarah mentioned earlier.
More in a minute. I need to read Sarah's blog to Tony.
Roxanne
Most Houstonians are tired, and just happy to find some gas, milk, and bread anywhere in the city. This has been an amazing journey--and ours was ONLY 12 hours. Of course we got to Beaumont (normally an 1 1/2 hour trip) in 10 hours, then it took us two hours to get back home when we realized we were going to either burn out the clutch in our other vehicle or run out of gas.
Some of the people at the shelter had been in cars for 21, 27, 36 hours. There was a gal with a two year old who had undergone ear surgery the day before, a mother of four with her fourth being only 5 days old. . .and on and on and on.
And some might question the hysteria of people leaving the area in droves. . .they only have to look at Beaumont, Jasper, Lake Charles, to see why we did so. It could have been so, so, so very bad. And we all learned that houses and stuff and trucks don't amount to much. I must confess that I took EVERY photo album, portait, and snap shot I had in my possession--because those can't be replaced.
One of the precious stories from another friend of mine who traveled for 27 hours said that at 21 hours she and her husband (in two different vehicles with their 3 sons) HAD to have some sleep. They finally found a rest area that had lots of other tired, hot, hungry,thirsty folks in it. She was escorting her 8 year old eldest back to their Suburban so they could all sleep together when he spotted a woman asleep on a blanket on the ground with her four young children about her. He said, "Mom, bless her heart. She's in REALLY bad shape." Amy said she smiled and then laughed because they weren't in much better shape themselves, but precious Logan figured if they were all together and had a roof over their head (albeit a car roof) they were doing okay.
A week to remember. I am glad to report that the truck was towed to Baytown and will be available for pick up tomorrow, the snakes are in their various aquariums, the chickens are in their coop, and the rabbit is the only displaced resident. His hutch is in the back of the truck. We had taken it to house the 8 foot snake. We should have just put him in the red bag to begin with. :)
R--
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